The promise you made, seqel to "Something better"
by JoJo1
Summary: What happens at the Mansion after Logans departure?


Title: The promise you made, sequel to "Something better"  
Rating: PG-13  
Archiving: WRFA, Mutual Admiration, Dolphin Haven. Anyone else, ask first please.  
Disclaimer: Oh yes, they're mine and I also own the majority of Microsofts stocks, the New York subway system and the patent to Cerebro. Any questions?  
Feedback: Sure, bring it on.  
Setting: After the movie  
Authors notes: A persistant little bunny this one...BTW, third story in a row where I stole the title from a song. This one's from Cock Robin and "Something better" is from Mobile homes while "Cinderella search" is from Marillion. One more coming after this installment.  
Summary: What happens at the Mansion after Logans departure?  
  
Everything between ~ ~ is telepathy  
-------------------------------------------------  
Marie went over to one of the panorama windows looking out over the mansion  
gardens as soon as Logan had closed the door behind him, wanting a last look  
before he left - the foosball game she and Bobby was playing against John  
and Kitty all forgotten. She absent-mindedly hung the dogtags around her neck,  
fingering them nervously while watching Logan walk towards the gate when  
he suddenly stopped and turned his head to the side. She couldn't help  
but smile when she saw what he was looking at. "You rascal. Scott will kill  
you if take that thing".  
  
"No, I won't."  
"Did I say that out loud?"  
"Well, muttering it." Scott managed to say before Logan sped out of the  
gates on his bike and afterwards continued with "Good luck Logan. You'll need it."  
"I didn't think you liked Logan?"  
"I don't hate him."  
"That's not an answer."  
"I guess not. No, I don't really like him but I respect him and I can  
see why finding his past means so much to him. As much as my wanting to  
get rid of these" he said, touching his glasses slightly, "means to me.  
He went beyond every call of duty in what he did to save you and in  
helping us to defeat Magneto. My bike is a small price to pay as a  
thank you. Though I have to admit, he probably only took it to annoy me."  
  
Scott didn't tell Marie that he really didn't think Logan would be back. The  
guy's too much of a loner he thought. And too restless. But that's not what  
she needs to hear now even if she realises it all by herself.  
  
  
The days and the weeks slowly goes by and Marie finds herself more and more  
comfortable at the Mansion, making some new friends and catching up on lost  
time and schoolwork and generally feeling like an average 17-year old  
again. A average 17-year old with what the adults thinks is a crush on a  
much older man anyway.  
  
Most of the time. Every now and then something reminds her of the fact  
that she's different even from the other mutants. The episodes when the  
personalities of David, Magneto or Logan makes themselves known, making the  
people around her give her curious looks as if she's insane, is one of those  
things. Another is of course her constant need to be entirely covered in clothing  
from head to toe no matter how hot it is to avoid accidents. And even with so much  
clothing she feels like a modern day mummy people tend to be at arms length.  
Unconsciously perhaps but it still hurts. The only ones not afraid of being close to her are Scott  
and her two friends Kitty and Jubilee and she loves them all the more for it.  
  
Still, life goes on and about six months after Logan left she felt for the  
first time that the Mansion was really her home and not just a place to stay for a  
while until she figured out what she wanted to do in life. During that entire time  
she hadn't heard a whisper from Logan. Not one phonecall, not one postcord. No  
nothing. She was seriously beginning to wonder if he was okay and was getting  
restless, needing to see him.  
  
Only problem was that she didn't know where he was so she let it be for the  
time being, trying to get her mind of it. Which Jubilee and Kitty was excellent  
at. This time it was just a coincidence but a welcome distraction none the less.  
Kitty's Eighteenth birthday was just coming up and a party for the students  
were organised with Jubilee as party-fixer. How she managed to make the adults  
look the other way so they could drink whatever with alcohol in it she never  
explained. And whenever someone asked she just smiled mysteriously at them.  
  
The party had been going on for some hours when disaster struck. Mostly  
everyone was too drunk and were less cautious than usual. Poor Bobby was so drunk he  
couldn't stand on his own any longer and was about to throw up. Marie was doing her  
best in helping him to the bathroom but wasn't doing a good job at it. Bobby was  
heavier than he looked and she wasn't exactly sober herself either so they were just  
barely making progress towards their goal, trying to dodge a few other of the  
students on their way. And tripped on someones feet, falling down with Marie landing on top of  
Bobby. Before anyone could react Maries face touched Bobbys and the connection opened.  
Marie tore away immediatly but the damage was already done and everyone just shied away  
like she had the plague, so afraid of being near her that they couldn't even be  
bothered to get Bobby to the sick bay.  
  
~Jean! Get over here! Bobby's hurt!~  
~On my way~  
  
Jean came over to the rec-room quickly and just as quickly checked up on Bobby.  
"Will he be okay? I didn't mean to.." Marie was almost hysterical.  
"Yeah. I think he will be okay. You didn't touch him long enough for any lasting damage. We'll just bring him down to sick-bay okay?"  
"Yeah. Can..can I come with you?"  
"Of course."  
  
Jean was using her telekinesy to move Bobby, just using her hands to  
steady him and at the same time she tried to comfort Marie who just  
couldn't stop crying.  
  
"Rogue? This isn't your fault. It was an accident."  
"Right. If I hadn't been there he wouldn't be hurting now."  
Jean didn't know what to say except that he would be fine and mentally  
slapping herself for her own stupidity. How could she have let Jubilee  
talk them all into having this party? She was so afraid that every progress  
Rogue had made the last months in rebuilding her self-confidence and trust  
in people would now be shattered.  
  
~Scott?~  
~Yeah, Jean?~  
~Would you do me a favour and break up the party and come down to the medlab  
afterwards?~  
~What's happened?~  
~I tell you later okay?~  
~Sure~  
~Thanks honey~  
  
Once down in the medlab, Jean immediately placed Bobby in one of the beds  
and hooked him up to some medical equipment. Mostly as a precaution since he didn't  
seem to need any medical attention whatsoever. His breathing's normal, heartrate normal.  
The touch must have been so short he didn't even fall into a coma. "He probably just  
needs a good nights sleep" Jean thought, very relieved.  
  
"Bobby will be fine, Rogue. He just needs sleep." Rogue didn't relax, she  
just tensed upmore.  
"You're just trying to make me feel better" she screamed, running away.  
"Maybe that's what she needs now, to vent some anger" Jean mused and  
therefore didn't go after her.  
  
Rogue rushed out of the medlab and up to her own room, the room she shared  
with Jubes and Kitty. They just stared at her with venom in their eyes and left the room. And that  
pattern continued ad nauseum from that point on. Everytime she entered a room, everyone else  
left or just ignored her. The adults were doing what they could to make the students see that it  
had been an accident but nothing worked. Not even when Bobby had made a complete recovery.  
  
Finally Marie had had enough. "No way I'm staying where I'm not wanted" she  
thought and one night snuck down into the garage, stealing one of the remaining bikes and  
left the mansion. She wasn't a great driver by any means but she could access Logans memories  
in how to use it so she made do. But she didn't know where to go or what to do. Only that  
she needed to see Logan and realised she could find him if she went through what she had  
of his memories and going to his favourite hang-outs.  
  
She found him eventually, in a place so much alike the place in Laughlin  
City it was eerie. He was in a cage, fighting as usual. Not surprising. It wasn't surprising  
that he was winning as usual either. When the fights were over he headed over to the  
bar.  
  
"Hi Logan"  
He turned around looking at her, surprised. "This ain't a place for you, kid. Go home."  
"Can't. I have no home anymore."  
Logan didn't answer.  
"Do you remember the promise you made?"  
"Yeah, so?"  
"Do you intend to keep it and help me out in my hour of need?" She realised she was practically begging but  
she had no pride left. It had all been shot to hell.  
"If I could." 


End file.
